2006 flashback: Jyoti is the Indian hero

Even the most imaginative of Bollywood's scriptwriters could not have dreamed up a more dramatic finale at the Hero Honda Indian Open.

In only the second Monday finish ever on the Asian Tour, Jyoti Randhawa claimed a sensational triumph at Delhi Golf Club, but only after surviving a stern test of nerves and endurance to pip compatriots S.S.P. Chowrasia and Vijay Kumar.

Randhawa, Asia's number one in 2002, showed steely resolve in his moment of glory, first needing a gutsy birdie at the 72nd hole to join a play-off and then having to sleep over the agony of missing a four-foot winning putt in the first extra hole played under fading light.

With Kumar the first to bow out after losing his ball in the jungle with an errant drive, Randhawa returned the next morning and edged past Chowrasia with a three-foot birdie putt at the par five 18th hole as the latter settled for par.

"This victory is the most difficult of all as there was a lot of pressure on me. In my previous victories, such as when I won in 2000, there was no expectation on me. I am very proud and honoured to have won the Open again," said Randhawa, who took his career tally to six.

"I am very pleased with the way I came back and won. It was nerve wracking missing that putt on the 18th. I only slept three or four hours last night. I was thinking that this is the putt to win the Open and that was enough to cause me to miss it. I thought of winning a golf tournament and did not think about the putt," he added.

The leading trio finished the Championship tied on 18-under-par 270 following some breathtaking golf which captivated the large galleries over the venerable course. A pumped-up Kumar, the Open winner in 2002, was the first to set the clubhouse mark with a superb closing 66.

The effervescent Chowrasia, one of season's revelations, looked down and out when he trailed by three with four holes remaining but the 28-year-old produced three glorious birdies and missed a 15-foot birdie at the last hole which would have sealed a dream victory.

"I am happy with the way I played," said Chowrasia, who was also runner-up in 1999 to Arjun Atwal. "I know that my chance will come.”

Randhawa predicted a bright future for Chowrasia, who had only weeks earlier suffered the ignominy of being disqualified at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters after taking a five-shot lead at the halfway stage.

"He has a great attitude and is a great golfer with a very good golf swing. He definitely will win the Indian Open one day," said Randhawa.

Englishman Simon Dyson finished fourth, a shot back, while India’s Mukesh Kumar was in tied fifth spot together with Thailand's Prom Meesawat. 2005 winner Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand was tied 16th.

Leading final scores:

270 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 69-67-64-70, Vijay Kumar (IND) 66-68-70-66,
S.S.P. Chowrasia (IND) 69-65-67-69
(Randhawa won on second hole of sudden-death play-off)
271 - Simon Dyson (ENG) 68-67-68-68
276 - Mukesh Kumar (IND) 70-68-66-72, Prom Meesawat (THA) 68-68-68-72
277 - Suk Jong-Yul (KOR) 67-73-68-69, Unho Park (AUS) 70-65-69-73
Gaurav Ghei (IND) 71-68-65-73
279 - Chiragh Kumar [A] (IND) 69-69-74-67, Scott Strange (AUS) 67-73-67-72
280 - Mark Mouland (WAL) 71-70-68-71, Muhammed Munir (PAK) 70-69-69-72
Rahil Gangjee (IND) 71-66-69-74
281 - Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 69-69-70-73
282 - Rick Gibson (CAN) 68-73-71-70, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 76-66-68-72
Vivek Bhandari (IND) 68-71-70-73
283 - Mahal Pearce (NZL) 70-69-71-73, Park Jun-Won (KOR) 72-65-72-74
284 - David Gleeson (AUS) 71-74-69-70, Somkiat Srisanga (THA) 74-70-69-71,
Shamim Khan (IND) 70-73-70-71, Michael Wright (AUS) 67-73-72-72, Shiv Kapur (IND) 74-67-69-74, Digvijay Singh (IND) 71-72-67-74, Chris Rodgers (ENG) 73-71-65-75
285 - Simon Dunn (SCO) 66-77-71-71, Yasin Ali (ENG) 69-73-71-72, Matt Holten (NZL) 73-67-69-76
286 - Richard Moir (AUS) 75-70-72-69, Gerald Rosales (PHI) 69-71-70-76
287 - Lu Wei-Lan (TPE) 79-67-70-71, Scott Barr (AUS) 73-72-70-72, Pat Giles (AUS) 70-73-72-72, Brad Iles (NZL) 67-74-73-73, Mike Cunning (USA) 73-71-69-74, Harinder Gupta (IND) 70-69-74-74, Clay Devers (USA) 71-71-71-74

October 8, 2007

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